Pages

Sunday, April 16, 2017

MD-2: Denver Barbarians v Provo Steelers

MD-2:

Denver
Barbarians v Provo Steelers

Warm with a swirling, vagrant wind that
would affect handling somewhat, beneath partial clouds on Infinity’s StoveTop
turf pitch for the clash between numbers two and three on the league table.
Provo Steelers were coming off five-point victory over Boulder Rugby earlier in
the RugbyDay that had gained the Men of Steel show position in the standings,
one point in front of their Utah brethren, Park City Haggis; Denver’s last
result was a stirring, 10-point win over league-leading and formerly unbeaten
Glendale Raptors down the Kettle last weekend.

Provo scrumhalf, Filivalea Mafoa, prepares to distribute the wonscrum

Provo commencement
kickoff one bounce into touch and Barbarians lineout 25 meters from their own
goal; toss tapped to scrumhalf, CSU-alum Carmine Hernandez, who distributed
smoothly to pivot, Chuck Ajarrista. The 10’s skip-pass to outside center and
former Oklahoma University standout, Michael Al-Jiboori, enabled that 13’s fend
to space and subsequent 75-meter dash to goal for the opening touch
down-made-seven by Ajarrista, and it was 7-0 Barbos in the second minute.

Steelers
responded by wresting the turnover after restart when 8man Viliami Vi stripped ball
and Provo were on the march in brief, powerful pick-and-goes from tackle past their
ten-meter line until knock-on reversed possession. Denver replied with wonscrum
and jagged tears into the mid-channels by their centers until ball spilled
forward at tackle gave the set piece put to the travelers in the spirited,
physical early goings.

Ajarrista
stretched the Denver advantage to 10 points with a sticksplitter from outside
the left post, 18 meters out in the 12th minute: Barbarians 10,
Steelers 0 just then.

A Barbarians
territorial kick ran through goal and action brought back inside the Denver 10-meter
line for a set piece scrum, Provo put. That won, Steelers began to work their
pattern with close communication between the forwards inching the action toward
the Barbos 22 before the attempt to go wide taken by a demon burst of wind into
touch and possession reversed.

Barbos looked
sharp through the first forty, while Provo seemed to be struggling under the short
turnaround between their double-tap fixture schedule this day, and the mad wind
made hash of each XVs movements on occasion.

The home side
would hit the half-century mark on a trio of further groundings by: Ajarrista,
number 2 Jason Christensen and replacement wing, Dominic Rufran (University of
Wyoming prominent).

Provo Steelers
got theirs just before time when tighthead prop, Siosiua Taufa, battered his
way through the Barbarians defense at the hosts ten-meter line and brought play
into the 22 where a penalty was assessed for Denver hands-in at breakdown.
Tap-and-go and fierce battle closeby goal as Barbarians defense sought
containment while visiting horde looked to finally breach. And it was Taufa
once more who forced the path to the try zone and dotted down for the grounding
that made the record 50-5 for Denver at Geiger’s last blast.